


The Passing Of Time Is Inevitable

by Spencer_Grey



Category: The Librarians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-21 00:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spencer_Grey/pseuds/Spencer_Grey
Summary: Ezekiel’s age is finally acknowledged





	1. Pay Attention

“Hey Jones?”

Ezekiel hummed in response, his eyes lingering on the movie screen for a few moments longer before turning his head to fully face Jake. The changing light of the screen barely illuminated his face, but Ezekiel could see the clear curiosity.

“How old are you?”

“Why?” Ezekiel's eyes were starting to dart between the screen and Jake, not seeing the point or caring.

“If we all got offered to join the Library at the same time as Flynn,” Jake explained, “and he's been Librarian for ten years, then how old were you when you got your invitation?”

“I'm twenty four.” Ezekiel had given up faking and returned his attention back to the movie, ignoring Jake’s obvious realization.

“Wait- what? You're were fourteen?” Jake slapped Ezekiel's arm to get his concentration again. It worked much to Ezekiel's annoyance. “You were a kid and the Library thought you'd be a good choice. What was it thinking?”

Ezekiel shrugged. “I don't know, mate. Guess you gotta ask the Library that,” he said. “Now can we just watch the movie?”

Jake finally left him alone, letting Ezekiel be blissfully ignorant of the concern he held for the younger man. Fourteen year old Jake was only taking over the role his father abandoned in the house but even though he had the capacity of a young adult, he was nowhere near enough to become a Librarian. Now, Jake would laugh at how little he knew back then.

And yet, somehow Ezekiel was far more able than Jake could imagine.

As he watched Ezekiel from the corner of his eye, Jake felt a pang in his chest, trying not to imagine what could've made that kid grow up so fast. But despite it all, there that kid was, watching a movie and leaning closer every second towards Jake; a laugh plastered on his face and a family that would protect him from any kind of pain.


	2. You Look So Small

Maybe Cassandra just didn’t understand the joke but she really didn’t find it that funny. Not as funny as Ezekiel, who was currently laying on the floor, found it. 

His face was bright red and he was clutching his chest, crying that it hurt in between sharp breaths in an attempt to regain himself. His eyes were still watering, the tear tracks stood out against the colour of his face. Ezekiel’s body convulsed as the mixture of a silent laugh and walrus laugh slipped from his mouth. 

“Are you okay?” Cassandra asked, genuine worry grew the longer Ezekiel stayed on the ground. 

He shook his head, gasping for air. Ezekiel took several long, deep breaths as he sat up from the floor, a hand instantly going to fix his hair. He was still smiling but had seemingly calmed down, enough for Cassandra to think he could talk. 

“Explain the joke to me,” Cassandra said. 

Ezekiel nodded. “Okay, okay, so . . .” Even at the thought of the joke, Ezekiel burst out laughing again. This time though there was sound, so much of it, it almost made Cassandra uncomfortable. She’d never seen or heard him like this before. 

It was unsettling at best. 

She watched him, in confusion and concern. Sure, Ezekiel had definitely laughed before, mostly at something he said but occasionally she’d see him lean over as Jake whispers something in his ear and he’ll have to muffle any sound. 

This was on another level. 

Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the lack of sleep catching up on her but maybe it was just him; the way his eyes had lit up and shone so madly bright, the way his mouth gaped open almost in shock but twisted up at the corners to form the biggest smile she’d seen from him, but there was something in that moment that tugged a thought that lurked in the corner of her mind. A thought that had been there since the moment they meet all those years ago, barely an hour before they first stepped foot into the Library together, and into a world of chaos that forced the thought to the sidelines. 

Cassandra rarely let herself think back to that time, she hated remembering the version of herself that even thought about betraying her team, her family. But the few times she did, she could pick out every small way she’d changed, and match them to the events that caused herself to become different. Some changes were for the better and she’d never trade them for anything, but other changes, the nightmares, the anxiety, the stress that came with the job were things she could’ve lived without. 

She knew that both Ezekiel and Jake suffered through the same things, they’d all given up faking being okay; when it was just them, they were allowed to break a little. But she never found out how severe it was, especially from Ezekiel, who was the last to share the latest nightmare or just stayed deadly silent during their three am talks. If Cass’ experiences were anything to go off of, then Ezekiel dealt with much worse things. In her mind, he was one of the strongest people she knew.  

There were times that he looked older than Jenkins, his eyes would fade off to the distance like he was seeing the horrors of a hundred wars all over again, and his body was tense like he was expecting a fight. Then other times, times like now that she cherished so deeply , he was so young. So much younger than them all. 

_ His brain wouldn’t even be fully developed yet _ , she thought. Yet, he was coping a million times better than Cass could’ve imagined when she was his age. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Ezekiel said finally, still letting out faint chuckles but at least he could breathe normally again. “You wouldn’t get it.”


End file.
